Silo installation for storing articles



2,834,447 Patented May 13, 11958 nrs ria

Gebrueder Buehler, Uzwil, Switzerland, a firm of Switzel-land Application .lilly 13, 1954, Serial No. 443,197

Claims priority, application Switzerland `luly Ztl, 1953 1 Claim. (Cl. @Fi- 12) This invention relates to silo installations.

These silos consist of slide systems which are located within each other. Each slide has the shape of a continuous winding; the windings are vertically arranged above each other and have a slope. The articles to be stored, such as bags, boxes and the like, are entered at the top of the slides and slide downwardly on the same by their own weight. The goods and articles may also be stored in these slides by the application of closure means at the discharge end of the same. ln this manner large quantities of goods can be stored and `discharged from the slides in conformity with existing requirements.

In the hitherto customary devices of this type the individual slide systems are adjacently arranged. In view of Ithe large turning radius required at both ends of the slide windings which have a great length and consist of straight and turning parts, the drawback arises of the creation of large unused intermediary spaces within each slide system; a highly unsatisfactory utilization of the space available in these slide installations is the natural consequence.

`It is the main object of this invention to eliminate this disadvantage.

It is a `further object of the invention to possibly rcduce manual work while manipulating the silo installations.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a perspectiveview of a silo installation composed of two systems of slides;

Fig. 2 shows a horizontal sectional view thereof and Fig. 3 shows a vertical sectional view of the same.

The silo installation shown in the drawing consists of a block l composed of slides; it is supported upon a foundation 3 by means of a frame work 2. The block consists of two systems of slides 4 and 5. Each slide system consists of sloping slideways 6 which have the shape of channels forming continuous windings. These slideways may consist of metal, wood or another suitable material; the stored goods slide downwards in these slideways under the influence of their own weight. v

The individual slideway windings are composed of substantially straight center sections 7 and turning edge parts 8.

The two slide systems 4, are arranged within each other the slide system 4 being centrally located and surrounded by slide system 5.

The turning edge portions 8 of the slide system 4 have a minimum curvature whereby a gentle change of direction is secured.

A free space 9 is formed by the straight sliding parts 7 which space harbours the control passages iii, ladders 1l, a lift l2 and other means used for a supervision of the operation of the device.

The loss of space caused by the lateral turning radius of the known silo installations having adjacently located slide systems is eliminated by the invention where the interior slide system 4 is surrounded by the slide system 5.

Further slide systems as above described, and surrounding each other, as indicated by system 14, may be provided.

Since in a particular embodiment of the invention the slideways of all slide systems are wound from the top of the silo to its bottom in the same direction and are adjacently arranged at the same height the inspection of the work may be greatly simplilied by the provision of control passages in the center of the block composed of the slideways.

The slides 1 and the control passages l@ are supported by a frame work 2; the frame work is self supporting and also carries the outside cover l5. Since the silo structures may not be suiiiciently self supporting it is advisable to support the `same by the wall of an adjacent building.

In operating the instant silo installation the articles to be handled by the same are transported to the top of the slideways 6 whereupon the goods slide down due to their own weight.

Discharge devices may be provided at the end of the slideways whereby the same may be either locked and the goods stored or the same may be directly discharged.

Since certain changes may :be made in the above lapparatus and different embodiments of the invention could lbe made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

A silo for the transport and the storage of goods comprising a plurality of coaxially located transporting and storing systems, said systems being composed of graduallly downwardly extending superposed spiral slides consisting of substantially straight lateral and rounded edge proportions, said slides forming continuously spirally shaped superposed slideways for said goods to effect a downward slide thereof under the inuence of their own weight, and an inner free space in the center of said silo and formed by said slides, said inner free space accommodating contro-l devices and supervision passages and a frame to support said superposed slideways.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 627,970 Boguszewski July 4, 1899 826,613 Schwab July 24, 1906 848,774 Schwab Apr. 2, 1907 

